Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit on Monday slammed Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah for calling for mass demonstrations in Egypt to force the government to open the country’s border with Gaza Strip. "Someone yesterday called on the Egyptian people to take to the streets and create an atmosphere of anarchy. In other words, they want an atmosphere of anarchy similar to the one they created in their own country," Abul Gheit told a press conference in Turkey.
"This person also called on the Egyptian armed forces, but he is not aware of the situation," Egypt's top diplomat said after talks with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan. "If you do not know, let me tell you that the Egyptian armed forces are tasked with defending Egypt. If need be, they will also protect Egypt against people like you," he added.
The Egyptian minister also underlined that the Rafah crossing point between Egypt and Gaza was open for dispatching humanitarian supplies and receiving wounded Palestinians.
In a televised address on Sunday, Nasrallah called on Egyptians to take to the streets ‘in millions’ to force the government to open the Rafah crossing to Gaza Strip, arguing that security forces could not take actions against such a large turnout.
However, it seems that the Egyptian authorities took Nasrallah's comments very seriously. It is reported that the Egyptian interior ministry declared a maximum state of emergency at its Central Security apparatus, canceling indefinitely all leaves for officers and soldiers.
